Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-07-08
POOR MERRITT.
He Is IN HIS LAST THROEs.
REQUIESCAT IN PACE.

concerned In closing our part of this
colloquial "storm that came from be-
yond the distant hills" we have only
to say, that we confess to an inability
to cope with Mr.. Merritt in the use of
billingsgate, neither are we capable OF
using hyperbole, that in its last analy-
sis is untrue. Here is specimen:
can argument chaste and dignifed
falls harmless DER his head; we have,
therefore, descended to his plane and
addressed him in the only language |
which he understands.
Now, Mr. Merritt knows in his heart |
that these words are not true in any
particular. Come, Bro. Merritt, be an
honest man for once, and confess that
you do not believe your own words
You speak of "an argument chaste
and dignifed, when did you make a
"chaste and ,dignified argument Not
in your first article, nor in the last.
We see lot of big words strung to-
gether, destitute of both sense and ele-
ga nee, but as for the argument" it
does not appear. It strikes us that
Mr. Merritt has not studied as much
rhetoric as we supposed he had. One
of the first principles that Mr.. Whate-
ly lays down in his rhetoric Is, for de-
batter to state the grounds of his oppo-
nent in the strongest possible light
Prof. Merritt has not done this. He
quoted what we said, but manufactures
a "straw" issue, attributes motive to
us which he imagines to be true, and
then says some very unbecomlng
things about us which are not in keep
ing with a gentleman of his cloth.
He plays his drama ''for the ears of
the groundlings, and makes the untu
tored laugh" He ''tears his piece 70
tatters, and saws the air, and the wise
grieve at this" Discretion would
have been a good tutor for you my
Bio. Mr.. Merritt says that his "abil-
ity in country town obtained for
him $500 a year." and then adds,
what no man would dale to do with
the least principle CT refined gentle
man remaining in his soul, here it is.
eyes, we were once teacher Rev.
Bell, and our ability obtained for us
$500 year, in little country town.
You were a preacher at the same time
and in the same community; what did
your ability obtain for you? We made
living and competence; you-well,
with charity as an adjunct, we think
that sometimes you were a very hung
ry Bell"
The above shows the inner nature
of the man. When his galvanized
snide polish is seen through, it reveals
the man in his true character. We
were in the same community, he
for his liability" received $500
per annum, we went "hungry." AS
matter of fact this was not true, for
had it been, it would have been re-
fection upon the good citizens of that
community, but we proceed upon the
hypothesis that it was so, and Merritt
illustrates in these lines the churlish
instincts of the ghoul. Think OF 1t,
hungry man at his door, his inferior
of course, but hungry, and at his door
in the same community, this parsimo-
nious soul, with his $500, this shade
of Shylock, this stingy miser, this self
inflated egotist, this man whose soul is
SO small, that dozen of such could be
put in the shell of the smallest mus
tard seed, and by shaking, you could
hear them rattle. This selfish man,
boasts of his sumptuous fare and COM
petence, while we were at his doersteps
hungry. We submit that if this spirit
of Merritt is really Characteristic of
the man, he is certainly a travesty upon
the species, called human. No indeed
Bro. NJ. your contributions never re-
lieved our hunger Further on he
says;
'The logical inference is, thai as
you have ever been patent, dismal
failure, success, dear sir, is quite be-
yond your reach.
Now without braggadocio upon our
part, we say, ordinarily speaking, that
Merritt knew that he was prostituting
his intelligence, or was ''dismally" ig
norant, when he penned the above.
This is the third false statement
noticed, and we might quote others,
but we forbear His silly twaddle
about the flowing Umpqua," and "all
nature standing appalled," etc., etc.,
was only cheap advantage that the
gentleman took to "show off," His
style in his last was humiliatingly low,
far below the Pixley or Mast standard,
and even below that of the Police Ga
zette. Take this as an example:
"But don't play hornet round our
camp unless you first provide yourself
with shield and wear it Ger the seat
Of all the sense you have, to. prevent
the forcible extraction OF your sting"
O, Merritt, Merritt, we blush for
shame for you, when you publish your